Hood compartment cover for a cabriolet vehicle with a retractable hood

ABSTRACT

A convertible vehicle has a carbody and a foldaway top connected to the carbody. A top compartment receives the foldaway top when folded open. A top compartment lid is provided for closing the top compartment. A hinge device is connected to the carbody and to the top compartment lid so that the top compartment lid is pivotable relative to the carbody. The top compartment lid has a front end interacting with a locking device in the area of a lateral side rail for locking it on the side rail by a push-pivot movement; it is released by a reverse movement. A lifting drive acting on the top compartment lid is supported on the carbody spaced from the hinge device and is pivotably connected to the top compartment lid. The top compartment lid is pivotable in the area of the hinge device relative to support part of the hinge device.

The invention relates to a convertible vehicle with a foldaway top, inparticular, with a folding top, according to the preamble of claim 1.

In a known convertible vehicle (EP 0 638 453 B1), a top compartment isprovided for receiving rearwardly the folding top in the open position,wherein the top compartment can be closed by a top compartment lid. Forits movement, a single drive is provided arranged centrally in the reararea of the vehicle with which an actuating movement is transmitted bydeflecting modules such onto two hinge devices in the lateral rear areaof the top compartment lid that the top compartment lid is pivotableupwardly into its open position and from the open position can bepivoted back. In this connection, the top compartment lid upon returningpivot action can be moved into the closed position such that in thismovement phase a side rail for the top cloth becomes entrained and, inthis way, the folding top connected thereto can be secured together withthe top compartment lid by means of a pivot-push movement in the area ofa locking device. Because of the movement modules to be actuated by thedrive as intermediate members, the drive kinematics are complex withregard to manufacture and a large mounting space is required.

The invention concerns the problem of configuring a convertible vehiclewith foldaway top in the area of the top compartment lid such that thelatter, with minimal technical expenditure, enables a synchronization ofits movement with the movement of the top and, in this connection, fewparts of the drive kinematics are optimally adjustable to a tightmounting space within the vehicle.

Based on a convertible vehicle with foldaway top according to thepreamble of claim 1, the invention solves this problem with the featuresof the characterizing portion of claim 1. With regard to importantfurther embodiments, reference is being had to claims 2 to 19.

The convertible vehicle according to the invention has top kinematics inthe area of its top compartment lid with a guide unit wherein ahydraulic lifting device acting by means of an actuator on the topcompartment lid and a hinge device supported rearwardly at a spacingthereto interact with one another optimally with few hinged parts as afunctional component series.

The top compartment lid has only two drives that aremirror-symmetrically arranged relative to the longitudinal center planeof the vehicle and are comprised form of actuators that are supported ina buckling resistant way on its underside and a lifting drive,respectively, pivotably connected to the other end of the actuators. Thetop compartment lid is integrated directly into the flow of forcecreated upon its movement. With minimal expenditure and few parts, anoptimal control is achieved by means of this pivot system in the firstpushing movement phase required for releasing or locking as well as in asecond pivoting movement phase required for completely releasing orcovering the top compartment.

The drive concept has few components and can be designed as a whole inan optimal way with regard to loads so that by means of uniform forcedeflections a delay-free movement results with which a minimal wearsusceptibility and thus a long service life of the component modules areensured.

Further details and advantageous embodiments of the convertible vehicleaccording to the invention result from the following description and thedrawing in which one embodiment of a top compartment lid moveableaccording to the invention is schematically illustrated. In the drawing,it is shown in:

FIG. 1 a perspective rear view of a convertible vehicle with a foldingtop in closed position;

FIG. 2 a schematic side view of the drive kinematics in the rear area ofthe vehicle (without top cloth of the folding top) according to a lineII-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 a side view similar to FIG. 2 with top cloth side rail and topcompartment lid in a first movement phase; and

FIG. 4 a side view similar to FIG. 3 with a top cloth side rail and rearwindow as well as the top compartment lid oppositely moved into the openpositions.

In FIG. 1, a convertible vehicle identified by 1 is illustrated in aperspective illustration wherein its closed folding top 2 has a rearwindow 4 that is integrated into the top cloth 3. In the illustratedclosed position, the top cloth 3 in the rear area is positionedunderneath the rear window 4 on a top compartment lid 8 (FIG. 2) that isarranged in a common plane with a trunk lid 5. A top compartment 6 forreceiving the top 2 is closable by means of this top compartment lid 8that extends substantially in a U-shape within the rear carbody contour.In the following, the kinematic components are illustrated in principlewherein in the area of the top cloth 3 the vehicle carbody and theconfiguration of the folding top 2 are not illustrated.

The top compartment lid 8 is supported pivotably on the vehicle carbodyby two hinge devices 7 (and 7′ that is not illustrated in detail in theside views of FIGS. 2 to 4), respectively, that are mirror-symmetricalto a longitudinal center plane M of the vehicle. Forwardly in thetraveling direction, the top compartment lid 8 interacts with at leastone locking device 10 provided in the area of a lateral top cloth siderail 9. EP 0 638 453 B1 discloses that in the area of such lockingdevices 10 the top compartment lid 8 can be locked, or unlocked in theopposite direction, on the top cloth side rail 9 by a pivot-pushmovement.

For realizing this movement, the convertible vehicle 1 according to theinvention has a top compartment lid 8 that is provided laterally with alifting drive 11 and 11′, respectively (in the section views, only oneis visible). The lifting drive 11 engages from below the top compartmentlid 8 in front of the hinge device 7 at a spacing A therefrom. Thelifting drive 11 engages essentially with a vertical lifting axis H anactuator 12 connected to the top compartment lid 8 in the area of ahinge connection 13. By means of this drive concept comprising only afew components, it is achieved that the top compartment lid 8 can bepivoted on a movement path that is guided essentially by the actuator 12of the lifting drive 11 and the hinge device 7.

In this connection, initially a first relative movement of the topcompartment lid 8 from a slanted orientation into approximately ahorizontal orientation can be performed (arrow K of FIG. 3). Moreover, afurther relative movement relative to the support part 15 can berealized, i.e., from the horizontal orientation into a slantedlyupwardly oriented opening position (arrow G of FIG. 4).

The actuator 12 forms with the hinge device 7 a functionally connectedguide unit that has at least three hinges. They are connected in aserial connection comprising as hinges the pivoting connection 13 of thelifting drive 11 to the actuator 12, the pivoting connection 14 of thetop compartment lid 8 to a support part 15 of the hinge device 7, andits pivoting support 16 for the support part 15.

It is functionally important in this connection that the lifting drive11 also has a pivoting connection 17 at the lower rear area of thevehicle car body (FIG. 3) that enables pivoting about a vertical axis P.In this connection, the lifting drive 11 is pivotably supported with itsend opposite the hinge connection 13 to the actuator 12 by means of ahinge support, not illustrated in detail, wherein also different typesof support are conceivable. With this support construction, the liftingdrive 11 is pivotable parallel to the longitudinal center plane M of thevehicle, as illustrated in FIG. 3 by arrow C.

In the illustrated configuration, the top compartment lid 8 has alifting cylinder 20 as a lifting drive 11; the cylinder is pivotablyconnected to a lever arm 18 with curved longitudinal contour that isprovided as an actuator 12. This lever arm 18 is stationarily connectedwith the end opposite the hydraulic cylinder 20 and its pivotingconnection 13 to the underside of the top compartment lid 8 by supportparts 19 so as to be buckling resistant.

The lever arm 18 provided with the pivotably connected hydrauliccylinder 20 is supported particularly in the area between the forwardlocking device 10 and the rear hinge device 7 such that the latter, whenintroducing a control movement (arrow B), can be optimally actuated and,at the same time, the hinge device 7 that is positioned at a spacing Ato the area where the lifting action is introduced can receive andtransmit the actuation forces optimally with regard to loads.

In FIG. 2, the closed position of the component modules before openingthe top compartment lid 8 is illustrated; upon subsequent activation ofthe lifting drive 11 (FIG. 3, arrow B), the lid passes through twomovement phases that pass into one another substantially continuously.The intermediate position that is reached by means of the first movementphase is illustrated in FIG. 3 and the second movement phase thatfollows continuously subsequently is illustrated in the illustrationaccording to FIG. 4 by means of the final open position.

In the first movement phase, the hydraulic cylinder 20 is actuated inthe direction of arrow B and, in this way, through the lever 18 alifting force is introduced into the top compartment lid 8 (FIG. 2). Thecomponents engaging one another up to this point in the area of thelocking device 10 in a connecting position are released from a securingposition in that, upon continuation of the lifting movement (FIG. 3),the push pivot movement illustrated by arrow D is initiated in the areaof the hinge device 7. At the same time, a movement path illustrated byarrow E is imparted on the hydraulic cylinder 20, movable in thedirection of arrow C, by means of the hinge device 13 that is facing thesupport lever 18.

By means of this guiding action comprising the movement phases D and E,the top cover compartment lid 8 is lifted and displaced so that in thearea of the locking device 10 at the same time a substantiallyhorizontal release movement according to arrows F and F′ is achieved. Asa result of the pivoting action in the area of the connection 14 of thetop compartment lid 8 on the support part 15 of the hinge device 7 it isensured that synchronously with the movements D and E a relativemovement (arrow K) can occur and, by means of a terminal tilting of thetop compartment lid 8 (FIG. 3), an optimal control in the area of thehinge series 17, 13, 14, 16 is realized.

For this movement control, the hinge device 7 has an L-shaped pivotlever 21 as a support part 15 for supporting pivotably the topcompartment lid 8; the lever 21 in a first opening phase according toFIG. 3 can be moved toward a stop 22 and can rest against it. In thisconnection, the guide unit formed by the lifting drive 11 and the hingedevice 7 cooperates at least during some phases synchronously with thelocking device 10 so that a uniform and continuous displacement of thetop compartment lid 8 is realized and all bearing modules are loadedonly minimally by jolt-free movements.

The second movement phase illustrated in FIG. 4 shows that for reachinga completely open position of the top compartment lid 8 the piston rod23 of the hydraulic cylinder 2 is further extended in the direction ofarrow B′ and only a pivot movement according to arrow G about the hinge14 on the support part 15 of the hinge device 7 takes place. Prior tothis, the folding top 1 can be pivoted also upwardly by drives, notillustrated, in the area of the rear window 4 and the top cloth siderail 9 (arrow R) and, subsequently, the folding top 4 can be pivotedinto the top compartment 6 (arrow R′).

It is understood that upon a closing movement of the top compartment lid8 (across inwardly positioned top or in its closed position), thedescribed continuous movement course is carried out in reverse whereinby arrow S the start of the movement is indicated only, withoutillustrating the additional partial movements again.

The locking device 10 provided at the front on the top compartment lid 8is formed by two component modules comprised of an abutment 24, 24′ anda catch hook 25, 25′, respectively, wherein the parts 24 and 25 form aconnection of the top compartment lid 8 to the vehicle carbody and theparts 24′ and 25′ provide a connection to the top cloth side rail 9. Thetwo abutments 24 and 24′ of the two locking modules are formed as slideguides in which the catch hooks 25, 25′ are guided during the firstmovement phase (FIG. 3) according to arrows F and F′.

In an expedient embodiment, in the area of the locking modules at leastone tactile sensor (not illustrated) is provided, respectively, fordetecting the position of the catch hooks 25, 25′. For adjustment ofthese locking modules on the guide unit of the lifting drive 11 andhinge device 7 in the area of the slide guides adjustable guidecomponents can be provided so that the locking device 10 ensures for theopening as well as the closing movement an optimal guiding action and,in particular upon closing of the folding top 1, an optimal tensioningforce for seal-tightness of the system with the rear window 4 resting onthe top cloth side rail 3 can be generated.

1-19. (canceled)
 20. A convertible vehicle comprising: a carbody; afoldaway top connected to the carbody so as to fold from a closedposition into an open position and back; a top compartment adapted toreceive the foldaway top when folded into the open position; a topcompartment lid for closing the top compartment, wherein the topcompartment lid extends within a rear carbody contour of the carbody; ahinge device connected to the carbody and to a rear end of the topcompartment lid so that the top compartment lid is pivotable relative tothe carbody; the hinge device comprising a support part and beingpivotable relative to the support part; the foldaway top having alateral top cloth side rail; the top compartment lid having a front endadapted to interact relative to the foldaway top with at least onelocking device provided in the area of the lateral top cloth side rail,wherein the top compartment lid is lockable on the top cloth side railby a push-pivot movement and is released by a movement carried out inreverse; at least one lifting drive acting on the top compartment lidand pivotably connected with a first end to the top compartment lid at aspacing from the hinge device and pivotably connected with a second endon the carbody; wherein a lifting force that is introduced by the atleast one lifting drive into the top compartment lid is transferreddirectly into an actuation of hinge parts of the hinge device in thearea of the hinge device pivotable relative to the support part.
 21. Theconvertible vehicle according to claim 20, wherein the top comprises arear window integrated into a top cloth of the top, wherein the rearwindow is adapted to be placed onto the top compartment lid interactingwith the at least one locking device and the at least one lifting drive.22. The convertible vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the rearwindow comprises a connection to the top cloth side rail whichconnection is effective when the top cloth side rail is moved.
 23. Theconvertible vehicle according to claim 21, wherein the at least onelifting drive imparts onto the rear window resting on the top cloth siderail a tensioning force ensuring seal-tightness.
 24. The convertiblevehicle according to claim 20, wherein the top compartment lid and thesupport part are pivotable together and relative to one another.
 25. Theconvertible vehicle according to claim 20, further comprising anactuator having a first end pivotably connected to the at least onelifting drive and a second end connected to the top compartment lid. 26.The convertible vehicle according to claim 25, wherein the topcompartment lid is movable on a movement path that is determinedsubstantially by the actuator and the support part of the hinge device.27. The convertible vehicle according to claim 25, wherein the actuatorand the hinge device together define a guide unit comprising at leastthree hinges arranged in serial configuration, wherein a first one ofthe hinges connects the at least one lifting drive to the actuator, asecond one of the hinges connects the top compartment lid to the supportpart of the hinge device, and a third one of hinges provides a pivotingsupport of the support part of the hinge device on the carbody.
 28. Theconvertible vehicle according to claim 27, wherein the serialconfiguration comprises additional hinges in addition to the first,second and third hinges and all of the hinges define partial movementpaths of a hinge kinematics of the top compartment lid.
 29. Theconvertible vehicle according to claim 27, wherein the guide unitinteracts synchronously with movable parts of the at least one lockingdevice at least during some phases of an opening movement or closingmovement of the top compartment lid.
 30. The convertible vehicleaccording to claim 25, wherein the at least one lifting drive has afirst end connected to the actuator and a second end remote from theactuator, wherein the second end is pivotably supported.
 31. Theconvertible vehicle according to claim 25, wherein the at least onelifting drive is a hydraulic cylinder that is pivotably connected to theactuator, wherein the actuator is a lever arm having a distal end remotefrom the hydraulic cylinder and the distal end is stationarily connectedto an underside of the top compartment lid.
 32. The convertible vehicleaccording to claim 31, wherein the lever arm is connected to theunderside in an area between the at least one locking device and thehinge device.
 33. The convertible vehicle according to claim 32, whereinthe support part of the hinge device is an L-shaped pivot lever thatpivotably supports the top compartment lid, wherein the L-shaped pivotlever in an opening phase of the top compartment lid is movable againsta stop and in a closing phase of the top compartment lid is pivoted awayfrom the stop.
 34. The convertible vehicle according to claim 20,wherein the at least one lifting drive having a lifting axis comprises ahinge connection that is connected in a lower rear area of the carbodyand enables pivoting of a vertical support axis.
 35. The convertiblevehicle according to claim 20, wherein the at least one lifting drive ispivotable parallel to a longitudinal center axis of the convertiblevehicle.
 36. The convertible vehicle according to claim 20, wherein uponactuation of the at least one lifting drive two movement phases passingsubstantially continuously into one another are imparted onto the topcompartment lid.
 37. The convertible vehicle according to claim 20,wherein a movement of the top compartment lid in the area of the atleast one locking device is effective, at least over phases thereof, asa push movement for locking or unlocking the at least one lockingdevice.
 38. The convertible vehicle according to claim 20, wherein theat least one locking device is comprised of two modules each comprisingan abutment and a catch hook, wherein a first one of the two modulesprovides a connection to the top cloth side rail and a second one of twomodules provides a connection to the vehicle carbody.
 39. Theconvertible vehicle according to claim 38, wherein the abutments areslide guides, respectively, in which the catch hooks are guided during apushing phase of the push-pivot movement.
 40. The convertible vehicleaccording to claim 38, wherein the two modules each are provided with atleast one tactile sensor for detecting a position of the catch hook. 41.The convertible vehicle according to claim 38, wherein the abutment hasadjustable guide paths in the area of the slide guide.